The Red chamber on Tuesday ratified a revised Electoral Act amid heated exchanges over provisions for electronic result transmission, paving the way for adjustments to the 2027 poll dates to avoid clashing with the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.
The Senate reconvened in an urgent plenary to revisit the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following concerns that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s February 2027 schedule infringed on constitutional tenure limits and religious observances.86accb A motion to rescind the prior passage enabled clause-by-clause scrutiny, exposing rifts particularly on Clause 60, which permits manual backups if electronic systems fail.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe sparked uproar by calling for a division vote to scrap allowances for manual processes during network glitches, prompting objections and a brief scuffle with Senator Sunday Karimi.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio intervened, stating: “I believed the demand had been previously withdrawn.”
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin invoked Order 52(6) of the Standing Orders to deem the challenge out of order, while Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele defended the rescission, warning that elections during Ramadan “could affect voter turnout, logistics, stakeholder participation, and credibility.”
In the ensuing division on Clause 60(3), 55 senators backed the proviso for manual transmission as a fallback, against 15 opposition votes. The bill ultimately passed, addressing inconsistencies in multiple clauses, though harmonisation with the lower house remains pending.
